Chapter 4: A New Friend

Shadow Academy was surrounded by new candidates. Only 20 trainees were selected a year per wolf class. Each Elite wolf was paired with a candidate in the guardianship program. Rain observed all the candidates. Many of the selected groups seemed to know each other. Unfortunately, Rain was at a disadvantage because she had been homeschooled for many years of her life. She hadn’t grown up with pack members her age, so she didn’t have any friends. The thought brought tears to her eyes. It was bad enough that she felt as if she were always being rejected. She sighed and closed her eyes briefly. She needed to pull herself together and change how she was feeling. She needed to let people get to know her before they began judging her before getting to really know her.

Kylie sat with Rain on a bench under a tree and they spent the next hour talking about their lives. Kylie explained that she was an only child of weaker guardians. She was the only wolf of her generation in her family to be selected by the Shadow Academy committee. All of her family members were given a guardian title even though her family lacked physical strength. Their family name was high enough in the pack that they were allowed to keep their guardian titles. However, when Kylie was born, her family suggested to the Elite wolves that they train her to be a guardian because her physical strength was something they hadn’t witnessed in her family for decades. Kylie smiled at the thought and then turned toward Rain.

“Everyone’s always looked down on my family because we were allowed to keep our titles even though all of them weren’t sworn in as guardians because they lacked the ability to fight.” Kylie explained with sorrow in her eyes. Rain understood what it was like to not feel like a member of their pack.

“I know what you mean. I was adopted you know. I’m sure you have heard,” Rain said to her.

“I have. That doesn’t give anyone the right to judge who you are. As a person, we are entitled to choose who we want to be in life. I know pack law has always been about ranking, but our rankings do not justify who we are as people,” Kylie told her. Rain couldn’t stop the smile from crossing her face. Kylie was a lot like her and she loved that she finally had someone that she could relate to. Rain felt unshed tears burn behind her eyes as she realized that she had finally found someone that understood her position in the pack.

“I’ve always felt as if I had to work harder than the other pack members to prove that I belong in the Shadow pack. I use to get rejected so much I started fighting in school, so they kicked me out. I was actually relieved when I started getting homeschooled, but I was never able to make friends because of it. When I was allowed to come back to school my last two years, I didn’t even try to make any friends. I didn’t see the point.” Rain told Kylie, who stared at her with full attention.

Rain had never spoken these feelings out loud, but her heart was telling her that she could trust Kylie. When Kylie hugged her, Rain felt her body stiffen. The girl sitting beside her had a good heart. Her kindness was a feeling that Rain had never seen in her lifetime.

“Well, I’d love to be your friend. I mean, that’s if you want to be friends.” Kylie said nervously.

“I’d like that.” Rain said honestly and smiled.

When the doors to Shadow Academy finally opened at noon, the entire courtyard fell silent. Alpha Leo emerged from inside the building, everyone in the courtyard bowing their heads to their pack leader. Tony clearly resembled his father, having the same sexy gray eyes and muscular build. The alpha’s aura was powerful and shadowed over everyone, proving that he was dominate in the Shadow pack. He didn’t smile as he appeared, but Rain began hearing all the whispers from the candidates about his handsome and striking appearance. He was indeed very attractive, but Rain didn’t get the same pull towards him that she had felt towards his son.

Something made Rain look in Tony’s direction. He was leaning up against a tree again as his father gave a welcome speech to all the candidates. He watched his father like everyone else and Rain could not read how he was feeling because he held an emotionless expression on his face. Tony had one leg bent back as he leaned against the tree, his arms crossed. He seemed to be in deep thought as if he wasn’t really paying attention to what Alpha Leo was saying. Rain could see that something was bothering him, and she watched him as he began to rub his right arm. It was the same arm on Rain that Eric had fractured her arm, but Tony hadn’t been injured.

Rain wondered what the attractive guy was thinking. He looked almost sad and frustrated, which surprisingly bothered her. Even as the alpha spoke, she couldn’t take her eyes off of Tony. What was it about this guy that had her bent out of shape? Then, his eyes shifted over to her again. He held no true feelings in his face, but their eyes met and he saw Rain staring in his direction. When she realized she’d been caught staring at him, she looked away, her heart racing nervously. She felt him staring at her, but she refused to look back at him. She felt herself shifting uncomfortably and she felt herself grow wet between her legs. Fuck. She was aroused by him and she hoped no one could smell her desires for him. She began thinking about how she wanted him deep inside her. She wanted to lick all over his body. She wanted to please every part of him. Rain shivered at her sexual feelings toward this guy she barely knew.

“You all right?” Kylie whispered to her, Rain relieved by the distraction away from Tony.

“Yeah, I think so.” Rain spoke, smiling to Kylie.

“So, you know Eric Price? I can’t believe he fractured your arm that way. He’s hot, but he didn’t have a right to do that to you,” Kylie said in concern.

“Yeah, he’s my ex-boyfriend. We were together for a year and a half. Not exactly the best experience of my life.” Rain said sadly, holding her now healed arm.

“I can’t believe the alpha’s son stepped in like that. Do you know each other? It’s out of character of him to do things like that” Kylie explained to her.

“Actually, I don’t know him at all. Maybe he was just being nice. Eric is a piece of shit. I would never get back with him.” Rain told her. She thought about what Kylie said and looked over at Tony again. He was still looking at her, so she forced herself to look away from his powerful gaze. What was it about this guy that made her nervous? And why was he staring at her so intently?

“That bad huh? You wouldn’t so happen to be the girlfriend that caught him cheating with Monica McCain, would you?” Kylie asked and Rain sighed.

Of course everyone knew about the incident. She had beat Monica until she was bloody and put her in the hospital. It was a whole ordeal within the pack. Gamma Marvin McCain had been so pissed off that someone had hurt his precious Monica. Rain had been punished severely and was locked up for days in a cellar. That was a day she would never forget. The cellar had been cold and damp. They had starved her and treated her like an animal. I mean, technically she was a wolf, but no one deserved to be locked up the way they had locked her up. She had been chained to a wall, starved, and unable to bathe for days. They didn’t give her any blankets and she had been so cold in that cellar. Emma had spent days pleading with the Gamma to release her.

Rain had been so unhinged that she hadn’t cared what happened to her. She didn’t regret putting Monica in the hospital and she wouldn’t apologize for it. Eric had broken her heart and Monica had known he had a girlfriend when she fucked him. In that moment, Rain had believed that she would never find happiness again in her life. It took her weeks after the Gamma released her to bring herself out of a deep depression. Rain swore she would never put another hand on Monica upon her release, and she also swore she would never trust another man the way she had trusted Eric.

“ I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that everyone knows about that.” Rain said sadly.

“Honestly. She got what she deserved. Monica is a real bitch. You must be really strong to put a Gamma’s daughter in the hospital. I mean, Monica is in the running to be a Luna for Tony. He’s the strongest in our pack and will eventually take Alpha Leo’s place. Maybe you should apply.” Kylie joked and nudged Rain.

“No thanks. I don’t see the point. Besides, he may have helped me out but he’s not very friendly. I don’t think I’d ever be with someone like him. I don’t care how much power you have.” Rain told her and laughed.

Rain shook her head at the ridiculous thought of her ever being the pack’s Luna. What she did acknowledge was that she really enjoyed having Kylie around. She was the first pack member that hadn’t treated her like an outcast. Rain had a strong feeling that they would become great friends.